The Forest of No Light
by PokeMaster64
Summary: After an attack by Team Rocket, Pikachu gets lost in an unusual forest. The gang's Pokemon decide to go in and find him, but soon become overwhelmed by the forest's secrets. Plus, the return and reveal of the mysterious Ryder. Rated T for certain reasons. Lagomorph fluff, ShellPWNageshipping, other mentions of pairings. Sequel to For the Love of Pikachu
1. Unusual Beginning

It was a peaceful morning in the wonderful land of Unova. The Pidove exited their roosts and chirped at the rising sun. The Patrat came out of their burrows and went in search for some food. Every living creature started to get up and prepare themselves for the beautiful morning.

In the town of Undella was the home of the Sinnoh Champion herself, Cynthia. She as well was getting up for the morning, along with her guests, Ash, Iris, Cilan, and Dawn.

Inside her living room was a group of Pokémon that belonged to the gang. Oshawott and Piplup were asleep on the floor, next to the couch. Pignite, Axew, and Emolga were near the table, sleeping soundly themselves. Pikachu and Buneary were cuddled up together on the couch with an egg in between them. Snivy was one of the only Pokémon that was currently awake and she began to do her morning stretches. Also…wait, what did I just say a moment ago?

Ah yes, you heard right, Pikachu and Buneary have an egg with them. It had a horizontal zigzag pattern going down it, the colors of it being brown and yellow. Ever since they became a couple back in Sinnoh, they have been in love with each other for every waking minute. However, you're probably wondering when this took place. Well, currently this is right after the events of Team Rocket's attempt to use the power of the three Genie Pokémon. But, let's start from the beginning…

_FLASHBACK_

_Iris and Cilan have just got acquainted with Ash's old friend, Dawn. They decided to go out to the back and show her their Pokémon. Happy to meet them all, Dawn introduced her Pokémon as well, allowing for everyone to get to know each other. _

_Pikachu and Oshawott went over to greet Quilava, who was once the small Cyndaquil Pikachu originally knew. "Hey Quilava, I see that you've change quite a bit." Pikachu complimented._

_Quilava smiled. "Thanks, and I've seen you haven't changed much either." Pikachu chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "So, who's your friend here?"_

_Oshawott pounded his chest proudly and stated, "I'm Oshawott, one of Ash's strongest Water-Types on his team."_

"_That's because Palpitoad isn't here with us." Pikachu joked, causing Oshawott to angrily glare at him. "Kidding, kidding, you are a strong Pokémon Oshawott." He reassured, making Oshawott smile mockingly. Pikachu shook his head and turned back to Quilava. "Say, Quilava, is, um, you know…she here?" He asked nervously with a blush._

_This made the Fire-Type smirk. "Oh yeah, she's here alright. When she heard you were coming, she wouldn't stop bouncing around or keep herself still for more than two seconds." He looked over to Mamoswine. "She's actually over there." He pointed towards the Twin Tusk Pokémon. _

_Pikachu turned around and saw, hiding behind Mamoswine's leg, was the girl of his dreams, staring back at him shyly. Pikachu waved over to her. "Buneary!" He called out happily._

_Buneary's face brightened up upon hearing her boyfriend calling her over and shyly made her approach. Pikachu was about to run over and hug Buneary with all the passion he had, but was stopped by Oshawott, who had hearts in his eyes. Oh boy…_

"_Wow Pikachu, I never realized that you traveled with someone as cute as her! She's beautiful!" Pikachu slowly felt his right eye twitch a bit. He tried to tell Oshawott about him and the rabbit, but he bolted off before he could say anything._

_Buneary was surprised to see the new face, but smiled none the less. "Oh, hello there. I'm Buneary, nice to meet you." She greeted with her usual cheeriness._

"_Hello Buneary, my name is Oshawott. And, might I say, you just might be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life." He complimented romantically. Buneary felt her face heat up out of embarrassment. She saw Pikachu start to walk up to them and could tell he was not enjoying this. "What do you say I take you out on a romantic date, just the two of us alone on the beach, under the magnificent moonlight of the sky, hmm?"_

_Buneary giggled nervously. "Thank you Oshawott, I'm flattered and all, but I don't think my boyfriend would like that."_

_Oshawott felt his fantasy world crumble before him. "You're…already taken?" Buneary nodded. He growled angrily and stomped on the ground. "Alright, well who's this loser that thinks he can be with someone as gorgeous as you?!"_

"_That 'loser' is standing right behind you." Oshawott felt himself freeze up in terror at the sound of the familiar voice. He slowly turned around and saw Pikachu, glaring down on him, but with a small smirk. "So, I see that you've gotten acquainted with my girlfriend."_

_Oshawott chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, she…and you…are…oh, how nice…hehe…" He then immediately dropped to Pikachu's feet in panic. "Please forgive me, Pikachu! I didn't know she was with you! I'm so sorry, punish me if you must, just please don't hurt me!" He begged frantically. _

_Pikachu placed a paw on his shoulder, prompting him to look up. He smiled kindly. "Chill dude, I'm not mad. It was just an accident, I understand. You just didn't know." Oshawott sighed with relief. "Besides, seeing you make a fool of yourself like that is punishment enough." Buneary giggled as he helped the shaking Water-Type up._

"_Heh, right." He moved out of his way. "Well, I suppose you two want to catch up, so I'm just gonna go over there." He walked away, face-palming himself for what he did._

_Pikachu shook his head and met his gaze with Buneary's. They stared lovingly at each other, elated to be together again after so long. They threw their arms around each other and locked lips. Pikachu stroked Buneary's back softly while she rubbed her ear against his head. They separated, still keeping their arms around each other. "I missed you." Buneary whispered into his ear._

"_I missed you more." Pikachu whispered back. They nuzzled their heads against each other._

"_Aww, look at them!" They heard Iris express happily. "Looks like Pikachu and this little one like each other!"_

"_Well, isn't that sweet?" Cilan said as he admired the two lovebirds. "It is like two ingredients that blend perfectly with each other, to create a heavenly dish with a savoring taste!" He expressed in his own way._

_Buneary stared at the green haired man in confusion. "Um, what?"_

_Pikachu laughed. "Don't worry, you get use to it after awhile."_

_Dawn smiled. "Buneary and Pikachu have been together when Ash and I were in Sinnoh. Every day after Buneary is done modeling, she would always stare at a picture of her and Pikachu together. I always think it's so cute to look at!"_

"_OSHA OSHA WOTT?! (HE'S DATING A MODEL?!)" Oshawott yelled, before comedic looking tears start to stream down his face._

_Ash smiled at the two as well. "Well, I'm happy for them. Every once in awhile, Pikachu would look a little sad and can't focus on training. I knew it had something to do with Buneary, so I always reassure him that he will see her again. And, I was right."_

_Pikachu and Buneary smiled at their trainers, glad to know that they always had a way to cheer them up when they needed it._

* * *

_Night time had finally came as everyone made their way to bed. After a long day of greeting, friendly battling, and keeping Piplup and Oshawott from killing each other over Meloetta, they deserved some rest. Buneary managed to become good friends with Snivy and Emolga, something Pikachu was glad of. He wanted her to be happy around his new friends._

_Anyway, Pikachu and Buneary were the only ones who haven't gone to bed yet. Actually, they were star gazing on top of the roof with their paws intertwined with each other._

_Pikachu pointed at a constellation. "That one over there looks like Oshawott's scalchop." Buneary looked and giggled delightfully._

_She pointed to another one. "That one looks a bit like your tail." He saw it and chuckled a little. She then saw another one. "That one over there looks like a crescent moon."_

_Pikachu's eyes widened as he looked at it. He smiled lightly. "Reminds you of anyone?" Buneary went into thought before figuring out what he meant. She frowned a bit. "Don't worry Buneary, he promised that we'll meet again. He's shifty, but he doesn't lie to his friends."_

_She regained her smile. "Yeah, you're right." She turned her head towards him. "So, how have your adventures in Unova been?"_

"_I got to meet some powerful opponents and face some pretty tough challenges. Ash met some pretty strong rivals, ones I'm hoping to face in the Unova League. Man, just thinking about it is getting me all psyched up! I wish you could be there to see me compete in person, but you have to leave soon." He looked a little saddened, but shook it off. "I'm just glad to be spending time with you." He gave her a light peck on the cheek, making her giggle. "So, how's your modeling career going along?"_

"_Oh, I'm doing fine. It's always nice to expand my look a bit. I even once wore a cute looking swimsuit and have it with me right now. Maybe we could going swimming tomorrow and you can see how I look in it." She said flirtatiously. Pikachu found his face heating up, imaging what Buneary would look like in it._

"_Y-y-yeah, s-sure, why n-not." He stuttered with nervous excitement. She gave him a little kiss on the nose, which calmed him down. "How bout we start heading inside."_

"_Actually, can we sleep out here? It's really nice out." Buneary asked with cute shimmering eyes. Eyes that Pikachu could never resist from her._

_He smiled dreamily. "Sure, I don't mind. I'm just glad that you're here with me again." They wrapped their arms around each other and shared a passionate kiss, which quickly got out of hand after a minute. Then, it happened…_

* * *

_Pikachu nervously paced back and forth in front of the examination room of the Pokémon Center. The gang, their Pokémon, and Cynthia were waiting as well, worried like Pikachu. A few days have passed since coming to Undella Town and things have been happening. _

_Just this morning, when Pikachu was bringing breakfast to Buneary, he found her in the bathroom, vomiting in the toilet. He became worried and tried to help her, but she snapped and yelled at him for no reason at all. The next thing that shocked him was that she immediately started crying and said sorry over and over. Then, he found her dinner on his back. He became even more worried, plus slightly disgusted, and ran for help. Jervis didn't know what was wrong with her, but suggested that she be taken to the Pokémon Center for help._

_Piplup puts his flipper on the worried Pikachu's shoulder. "Don't worry buddy, Buneary will be fine. I'm sure all she has is just a little stomach flu, that's it."_

_Pikachu looked warily at him. "You think so?"_

_Oshawott contributed his thoughts. "Piplup's right, Buneary will be fine. She's just a little sick. Nothing to worry about."_

_Snivy came up to them to ease Pikachu's stress as well. "Pikachu, I can guarantee you that Buneary will be fine once Nurse Joy comes out." Pikachu slowly started to feel better at the comforting words of his friends._

"_Thanks guys, you're the best."_

_The examining room doors open up and Nurse Joy and her assistant Audino walked out with smiles on their faces. "I'm done examining Buneary's condition."_

_Dawn walked over worriedly. "Is she going to fine, Nurse Joy? Is Buneary sick?"_

_Joy shook her head. "I am happy to say that Buneary is just fine. She should be able to leave soon. She just needs some rest." Dawn and Pikachu sighed with relief._

_Cynthia walked over. "Could you please explain what the cause of her condition was?"_

"_Certainly." She went through her notes on her clipboard. "We ran a thorough diagnostic of Buneary and discover that she isn't technically sick. The condition she is in was quite surprising when we took an x-ray of her."_

"_What do you mean?" Ash asked._

_Nurse Joy smiled brightly. "Well, to put it simply, we found a second sign of life in her. Buneary happens to be pregnant."_

"_Pregnant?!" Everyone yelled in surprise. Nurse Joy and Audino nodded._

"_My Buneary is going to have a baby?!" Dawn exclaimed. She squealed happily. "I can't believe it!"_

"_I'm going to be an uncle!" Piplup cheered excitedly. The Pokémon stared at him oddly. "What, I always wanted to be an uncle."_

_Cilan held up a finger. "Hold on, if that's the case, who's the father?" All eyes immediately fell on Pikachu._

_He was in a state of shock after hearing what Nurse Joy explained. He doesn't even remember doing…that…with Buneary. Though, some part of that night was a bit blurry. Still, he was indeed surprised by this. "I'm…going to be a father?" After saying that out loud, he did the only rational thing he could think of to express how he felt of this situation: he fainted, kind of dramatically._

_Piplup stared at him oddly. "Guess the news overwhelmed him a bit."_

"_A bit?" Oshawott said sarcastically. They dragged his unconscious body over to the waiting couch. "Let's give him a moment to rest. He's going to need it when he comes to." Piplup nodded in agreement._

* * *

_Despite passing out over Buneary's condition, Pikachu was actually happy. He always wanted a son or daughter to play with and care for. Buneary, too, was excited, always wanting her own child when she was younger. She just never expected it to happen so suddenly. Everyone was happy for her and Pikachu and made sure they had everything needed to take care of a baby Pichu or Buneary._

_Pikachu was doing his best to take care of Buneary. A Pokémon's gestation period was a lot faster than a human's and takes about a week for the egg to be laid. However, since it's faster, it comes with violent mood swings, unusual appetite, occasional vomiting, and periodic naps. Taking care of Buneary soon proved to be a difficult task._

_Buneary would demand unusual things to eat, such as Pokémon food covered in hot sauce, ranch, syrup, and carrots. Then, she would get angry at Pikachu, blaming him for putting her into such pain._

"_THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME! I LOOK FAT BECAUSE OF YOU!" Buneary once screamed into his face. Thankfully, being the rational Pokémon he is, Pikachu calmly took the yelling, knowing that Buneary didn't actually mean it._

_She would apologize, dramatically, and would beg for his forgiveness, which he didn't hesitate to accept. He was glad the others would help out with caring for her, because even he was starting to get slowly worn out. Pansage would help out with the food, Snivy and Emolga would try to keep Buneary calm when she was exploding, and Oshawott and Piplup would assist with getting something Buneary needed, even if the requested object was unusual._

_They had to put up with this for a week before it was time. Pikachu was making sure that Buneary stayed calm when she was giving birth. However, it didn't help that he was holding her paw and she was crushing it out of agony. Um…well, you get what happens next, so why don't we just return to the present._

_FLASHBACK END_

Pikachu stirred from his sleep and yawned. He looked at the sleeping form that was his new mate and the egg that was in between them. He smiled softly and nuzzled Buneary, which made her eyes flutter open. She yawned herself and looked over at Pikachu. "Oh, good morning Pika." She greeted with his little nickname.

"Good morning to you too, BunBun." He said, using the nickname he came up with for her, which she absolutely loved. They shared a quick kiss before getting up. Buneary held the egg close to her, feeling it was a lot safer in her paws. "So, what do you think our trainers are planning?" Pikachu asked.

Buneary shrugged. Dawn decided to extend her visit a bit out of respect for Pikachu and Buneary. She felt it would wrong to separate them, especially after having a new child that would hatch soon. The trainers decided they should do something to celebrate, but planned to do it a few days after the birth so Buneary could relax after what she went through. "I don't know, but I hope it's fun."

"Morning, you two." They look over and saw Snivy on the windowsill, bathing in the fresh morning sunlight. "How'd you sleep?"

"Oh, we slept fine. Thanks for asking. And you?" Buneary asked.

"Yeah, I slept alright." Snivy said with a nod.

Soon, the others started to wake up as well. Axew stretched and yawn. "Boy, that was some good sleep!"

Emolga yawned and started to walk towards the kitchen. "I'm going to see if there are any apples left to eat." Snivy rolled her eyes at her. "Oh, don't give me that look! It's not like I'm making one of the guys do it for me…this time." She left for the kitchen.

Oshawott rubbed his tired eyes and looked at Piplup, who seemed to be a little depressed. "Still upset that Meloetta left?" He asked.

Piplup nodded. "Yeah, I miss her so much. Why did she have to leave? Couldn't she just stay with us or something?" Oshawott shrugged and looked away. "How come you not as upset? You were crushing on her too."

"It's…kind of normal for girls to leave or reject me. I'm use to it." He cast a quick glance at a certain girl in the room before looking back at Piplup. "I'm sure there's a girl right for you out there. You just need to be patient." Ever since Meloetta left after Team Rocket's attempt to use the Genie Pokémon's power, Piplup and Oshawott have been managing to get along with each other.

Piplup brightened up a bit and smiled. "Yeah, same thing to you, too." He looked over at Pikachu and Buneary. "How's your egg doing?"

Buneary hugged it and squealed. "It's doing great! I'm so excited! Nurse Audino told me it should hatch sometime this week! I'm practically bouncing off the walls just thinking about it!" Pikachu rubbed her back in hopes to calm her down.

"However, there's one small problem. Neither of us know how to raise a child, much less take care of one. You guys wouldn't happen to know, would you?" Pikachu asked. Oshawott looked at Piplup, who just shrugged. Oshawott gave the same response. Pikachu sighed. "That's what I was afraid of."

"Don't worry." Snivy walked over. "You two will figure it out, I'm sure. And we're all here to help you out. But, if anything, I'm sure Oshawott may be better help."

Oshawott widened his eyes. "Really?"

"Admittedly, you not that bright, but you do have a big heart and I'm pretty sure you can help them out." Oshawott looked away with a small blush.

"Snivy's right!" Pikachu added. "You may be a big help when we need it. And I couldn't ask for anyone better than you." Buneary nodded in agreement.

Oshawott smiled. "Thanks guys. I promise I'll try to help out with the little Pichu or Buneary in anyway I can."

A moment later, the trainers entered the living room with bright smiles on their faces. "Hey guys, how'd you sleep?" Ash asked. The Pokémon replied with usual chatter. "Good to know."

"Anyway," Dawn started, "we are planning something special to do today. We're going to have a nice, relaxing picnic to celebrate Pikachu and Buneary's expecting child. Doesn't that sound fun?" The Pokémon cheered with excitement while the mentioned couple blushed with embarrassment.

"We already have everything packed, so, if you're ready, we can leave now." Iris said. The Pokémon cheered and started to get up to leave.

Cynthia walked over to the trainers. "I hope you all have a splendid time and please be careful."

"We will!" The trainers and Pokémon started to exit the home and go off to their destination. Pikachu and Buneary, with the egg, leaned against each other and sighed happily.

Unbeknownst to them, four familiar figures were watching from the bushes. "They may think that we left for Kanto, but they have no idea how wrong they are."

"True, which gives us the element of surprise."

"So let's stop talkin' and do some nabbin'!"

"Hehehe, game time!" They snuck away from their hiding spot and began their plan.


	2. Oshawott's Secret Crush

The gang walked a little ways out of Undella Town to the spot they had in mind. They saw it when they were doing some training awhile ago and thought it would be a great spot to have a picnic.

Iris pushed past some trees. "We're almost there, everyone!" She announced as she started to see the intended spot through the trees. After a little more walking and pushing past vegetation, they made it. "We're here!"

Everyone gaped at the beautiful area. Past the wood they were in was an open area near a cliff. It had enough space to run around and play at, while leaving enough room for tables and seats. The Pokémon couldn't contain their excitement and started to run off towards the area.

Ash was just as energetic and ran after the Pokémon. "Yeah, this is going to be awesome!"

"Ash, you're such a little kid!" Iris exclaimed at his usual behavior. "We need your help to set up for lunch, remember?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Um, yeah, I forgot."

"Well, let's get started!" Cilan said as he unpacked the table, chairs, portable stove thing, food, pots…that is a big backpack. They also released their bigger Pokémon out, which consist of Krookodile, Mamoswine, Crustle, and Dragonite.

Anyway, the Pokémon were either running around or relaxing as they waited for the food to be ready. Pikachu and Buneary were playing a game of tag with Oshawott, Quilava, Scraggy, and Axew. Togekiss was kind enough to make sure their egg stayed safe as she laid under the shade of a tree.

Pikachu was chasing down Buneary until he tagged her. "Tag, you're it Slowpoke!" He ran in the other direction laughing.

Buneary smirked and went after him. "Come say that to my face, if you have the guts!" She tried to catch up, but he was too fast. She decided to switch targets and went after Axew.

Oshawott ran as far away from Buneary as possible, laughing playfully. He ran up near the edge of the cliff and took a small breather. He wiped his forehead and took a look at the view in front of him, which ended up surprising him.

What he was looking at was some weird looking forest at the bottom of the cliff. It stretched a far distance across the area, looking like it went on for miles. Another strange thing about it was that it had odd colored leaves. They were all a dark purple and look slightly jagged. He found this to be strange, and slightly bone chilling. He looked off in another direction and saw another shocking sight.

About a hiking distance away and on a higher cliff that hanged over the forest was what looked like the remains of a building. Thick, dark roots that reminded him of Frenzy Plant were wrapped around the remaining parts of it that were still standing. And, despite the distance, he could clearly see black markings across the walls, as if they were singed by something deadly. The entire place looked like it had been decimated by an army.

Oshawott gulped. _Who, or what, did that?_ He thought in terror. He looked back at the forest and saw an unusual red glow coming through it. He didn't know why, but as he looked at it, he felt everything get slowly darker and colder. He couldn't look away, yet he felt horrified by the sight, slowly starting to see terrifying images appear in front of him.

He snapped out of his trance when someone poked him. "Tag, you're it!" Scraggy exclaimed as he ran away.

Oshawott blinked and rubbed his eyes. When he looked back, the glow was gone. "What…was that?"

He felt something grasp his shoulder. He jumped and saw Pikachu, who wore a concerned look. "Oshawott, you alright?"

He shook his head and sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. I…just don't feel like playing anymore."

"Something wrong?" Pikachu asked. He could tell the Sea Otter Pokémon was visibly shaken by something. Oshawott shook his head. "Hey, if you ever need to talk about something, feel free to ask me anything."

"…really?" He asked hesitantly.

Pikachu smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I never let a friend down!"

Oshawott gave a small smile. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

A little while later, everyone got settled down for lunch. Emolga, Axew, Scraggy, Pachirisu, and Quilava sat together in a group, eating their food. Dragonite, despite his rough personality and new environment, was eating with Krookodile, Mamoswine, and Crustle. Snivy sat on a rock by herself to get some peace, not that she didn't enjoy her friends' company. Piplup, Oshawott and Pignite sat a little ways away from Pikachu and Buneary. The rest ate near where the trainers were eating.

Buneary laughed as Pikachu tried to feed her. "Pikachu, haha, stop!" She exclaimed with a giggly voice.

"Aww, but you look so cute when I feed you. Come on, please?" He pleaded teasingly. She smiled and opened her mouth, allowing him to place the food in her mouth. They both laughed at their fun.

Oshawott stared at them with a bit of a longing look on his face. He sighed depressingly, not even bothered by the fact Pignite took the last of his food. Piplup noticed his behavior. "Something bugging you?"

Oshawott cast him a small glance before going back to looking at the ground. "Remember when I said that girls leave or reject me?" Piplup nodded. "Well, I guess seeing Pikachu and Buneary over there, being happy and in love with each other, makes me realize that I'm nowhere closer to finding a mate than I was before. I've been rejected, teased, accidentally thought a Purrloin was a girl, no girl I've ever met took interest in me and never will."

Piplup show sympathy towards him. "Don't you think you're being too harsh on yourself?" Oshawott turned his head away. "Alright, I'll admit that I feel the same way you feel. I want someone to love and be with for the rest of my life. But, I can't do that if I'm sulking about it. Sure, I get sad when I'm rejected, but," He pounded his chest with pride, "that doesn't mean all hope is lost!"

"Easy for you to say…" Oshawott mumbled lightly. "…I've been struck down so many times that I ended up losing count."

Piplup thought for a moment. "Well, maybe you should change up your approach when you try to ask a girl out."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, you rush into things to quickly like when you first met Buneary. You didn't know that she was with Pikachu and you ended up making a fool of yourself. Maybe, instead of trying to just immediately ask a girl out, try to get on their good side first."

Oshawott stared a little hopefully at him. "How so?"

"Back in Sinnoh, I tried to get a Marill to like me by helping her out with a berry garden. This Elekid soon comes and tries to steal her away from me, so I fight for her love. Team Rocket comes to try and kidnap us, but we end up escaping and try to find our way back to the gang. After a series of events, we get back to the gang and send Team Rocket blasting off again!"

Oshawott smiled a little. "And, in the end, you managed to win Marill's heart?"

Piplup quickly shifted moods and stared to cry. "No, she chose the Elekid over me!" Oshawott face-faltered. Piplup immediately stopped crying and smiled cheerfully at him. "Did that help you?"

"Yeah, sure." He deadpanned. Piplup, being as oblivious as ever, closed his eyes proudly.

Pignite shared his thoughts. "If it's bothering you so much, why not ask Pikachu?" Oshawott and Piplup looked at him in confusion. "Well, why not? He's the only one of us who has a girlfriend, or in his case a mate. He may be able to give you some advice."

Piplup stared a little longer, before his beak started to quiver, then burst out in laughter. "Pi-Pi…Pikachu?! Hahahaha, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life! You…you actually think that…pft, HAHAHAHAHA!"

Pignite shrugged with a confused looked. "Yeah, Pikachu."

Piplup managed to calm down and gave an incredulous look. "Don't get me wrong, Pikachu is my pal and I'm happy he and Buneary are together, but that guy doesn't know romance if it hit him in the back of the head!"

"He certainly knows better than you." Oshawott muttered, which Piplup heard.

"Hey, just because I never had a girlfriend and he did, it doesn't mean that I don't know how to woo girls!"

"So, how come you're still single?" Pignite asked innocently, causing Piplup to look to the side and cry. Oshawott rolled his eyes. "Okay, so what do you mean Pikachu doesn't know anything?"

Piplup quit his crying and explained, "I don't have all the details about it, but all I know is that Pikachu had a little help with getting his emotional problems solved. So, that means that he doesn't know anything like I do!"

"But, again, you're still single." Pignite reminded, earning a death glare from Piplup.

Oshawott groaned. "This is ridiculous! Pignite's right, I'll have a better chance at getting romantic advice if I just ask Pikachu!"

Piplup immediately realized something and smirked at his friend. "Wait a minute, I see what's going on here. You have a crush on someone in the group!" Oshawott rolled his eyes and looked away, but not before Piplup could catch a glimpse of red on his cheek. "HA, I was right!"

Pignite chuckled. "It's probably Emolga, you've been hitting on her since Day 1." Oshawott didn't even react, keeping his eyes off them. "Wait, is it her?" He asked thinking that wasn't the truth. Again, Oshawott didn't say anything.

Piplup tapped his chin. "Is it Togekiss?" Still nothing, but a glare slowly started to form on his face. "Hang on, it's that Unfezant that travels with you guys?" His glare got deeper with his face turning red in anger. "Um…wait, please don't tell you're not over Buneary yet?" Steam started to rise out of his head. "Oh, oh, it's Snivy, isn't it?!"

His temper finally got the better of him. "Alright, I'M OUT OF HERE!" He yelled, causing both Pignite and Piplup to jump in fear. Oshawott marched off to the woods where he could go cool down.

His outburst wasn't left unnoticed by Pikachu and Buneary, who looked at the way he left in concern. "What's wrong with Oshawott?" Buneary asked worriedly.

"I don't know, but something is bugging him. I'm gonna go talk to him." Pikachu gave her a quick peck on the cheek before following his friend into the thin woods.

* * *

Oshawott viciously slashed a tree with his scalchop as he tried to vent out his anger. He stopped after a few moments and sighed. He created a huge gash in the tree that nearly reached the center of it. He puts his scalchop back on his chest and slides down against the tree.

He looked off to the side. The tree he was laying against was near the cliff edge, which gave him a perfect view of the same forest he saw earlier. He shivered and looked away. He ended up covering his eyes as tears dripped down his face. He shook his head, repeatedly saying, "…why…why can't I just tell her?"

The sound of a twig snapping caught his attention. He stayed hidden as he grabbed hold of his scalchop. "Whoever you are, go away!"

"Oshawott, it's me, Pikachu. I just want to talk with you. Where are you?" Oshawott sighed, glad it was only him, and lets go of his scalchop.

"I'm over here." He somewhat muttered. Luckily, Pikachu managed to locate him. "What do you want?" He mumbled sadly.

Pikachu sat against the tree parallel to Oshawott. "I heard you yell at Pignite and Piplup and wanted to make sure that you were alright. Is something troubling you?" He asked carefully.

He turned his head away from him and sighed. "Y-yeah, I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry about me."

Pikachu knew he was upset by something and refused to let this slide. "I'm sorry Oshawott, but I know something is wrong with you. Can you please tell me?" Oshawott gave him a small glance before turning away and shaking his head. "Well, why not?"

He let a few tear drops slide down his face. "Because…because I'm not sure if you do know how to help me." Pikachu grew even more concerned for his friend.

"Listen Oshawott," he said softly, "I said that if you have any problems whatsoever that you can tell me. I only want to help you out and try to make you feel better. Can you please tell me what is troubling you?"

Oshawott slowly moved his eyes over to look at Pikachu. "If I tell you, will you promise not to laugh or tell anyone?" Pikachu nodded. He fully turned his head to face the yellow mouse. He rubbed his paws nervously. "I…I need advice about…love."

Pikachu blinked, wondering if he misheard that. "Did you say…you needed love advice?" Oshawott nodded. "How come?"

He sighed. "The thing is, I'm getting sick and tired of being rejected by every girl I've ever asked out. I tried to ask Piplup and Pignite, but they ended up teasing me to the point where I lost my temper. Pignite did, however, suggest that I should ask you since, well, you already found love."

Pikachu scratched his head. "Well, I can understand that and all, but there's one thing that I need to know. Do you have a crush on someone?"

Oshawott's cheeks turned pink as he fiddled with his scalchop. "Well, yeah, but I'm too embarrassed to say who."

"Is it Emolga? Because, if it is, I'm not sure she's your best choice. She's nice and all, but I think she can be a little manipulative and greedy. Also…" He stopped when Oshawott raises his paw.

"It's not Emolga." He mumbled.

Pikachu looked genuinely surprised. "Oh, well, who else is there?" He tapped his chin in thought. "Is it Unfezant?" Oshawott shook his head. "What about Togekiss?" Oshawott replied the same way. "Hmm, well…" A thought crossed his mind, which caused him to furrow his brow. "Wait, is it Buneary? If it is, so help me…!"

Oshawott calmly, but quickly, raised his paws in defense. "Chill dude, it isn't Buneary. I wouldn't go as far as stealing away girls from other guys."

Pikachu calmed down and rubbed his head sheepishly. "Right…sorry about that."

"It's cool." Oshawott shrugged.

Pikachu crossed his arms. "Well, if it isn't Emolga, Unfezant, Togekiss, or Buneary, the only other girl I can think of is…" His eyes widened with surprise. "Wait, is it…?"

"…yeah." Oshawott's cheeks reddened deeper.

"It's…it's Snivy?" He asked softly, still shocked by the truth.

Oshawott, feeling the cat was out of the bag, nodded his head. "Yeah, it's Snivy. I…have a crush on her, a big one." His cheeks were as red as a Tomato Berry.

Pikachu leaned back against the tree as he tried to process all of this. He would have never suspected the Oshawott, the romantic goofball of the group, to fall for someone like Snivy. Those two had completely different personalities, Snivy being the serious one and all. Sure, Snivy did occasionally play games with everyone, but you usually see her watching over them to make sure no one gets hurt.

Pikachu took in a deep breath and asked, "How long?"

Oshawott fiddled around with his scalchop when he answered. "The day she became part of the team."

Pikachu's eyes were the size of dinner plates upon hearing that. "You had a crush on her…for that long?!" He made sure to keep his voice low, but it was still pretty loud. "I…I don't get it!"

"Allow me to explain." He placed his scalchop back on his chest and cleared his throat. "At first, I thought of her nothing more than an opponent when we first met her. However, after hitting me with that Attract, I saw her in a different way, sheer beauty. But, even after the effects wore off and when she was captured, I kept looking at her the same way. It just never left my mind.

"When we were starting to become friends, we seem to have grown closer. But, whenever I was alone with her, I would end up feeling hot and sweaty around her and felt tongue-tied when I tried to speak. I passed it all off that it was just the heat, but still. Then I started to realize her other traits. She wasn't just beautiful, but smart, loyal, kind-hearted, calm under pressure…" Oshawott sighed dreamily. "It was then that I started to realize that I was falling for her."

Pikachu calmed down after his earlier outburst and smiled at his friend. "Well, I'm happy for you." He then frowned. "But, if that's the case, why have you been hitting on other girls this whole time?"

Oshawott's eyes immediately started to water. "Because I knew she was too good for me. She was out of my league and I would never have a chance with her. I tried to always push those feelings aside and get the next girl I see to fall for me or at least go on a date with me. You can see how that turned out." He wiped his eyes of any incoming tears. "I feared that if I asked her out, she would say no, she would hate me for the rest of my life, and she would find some other guy to be her boyfriend and possible mate."

"Don't you think that's a mild exaggeration?" Pikachu questioned. Oshawott slid down the tree in embarrassment. Pikachu shook his head smiling. "I'm sure that, if you asked Snivy out, she would say yes. She's your best friend after all, why wouldn't she?"

"Still, I get so nervous around her. I tried to practice asking her out by using some rocks…I ended up getting rejected." Pikachu raised a brow. "In my defense, I usually do this in the middle of the night and would be really tired. Point is, I need someone with experience in the relationship department to help me out. I need _your help_. After all, you have been with Buneary for awhile and managed to end up with a kid." Pikachu blushed a little. "So, what do you say, PLEASE?!" He asked with big eyes.

Pikachu smiled sadly. "I would love to help you Oshawott, honestly, but I'm not the best Pokémon to explain this kind of subject."

"But, I see you being all gushy and romantic around Buneary and you seem to always have that romantic passion with you. How can you not explain that?"

"Love is a tricky thing to explain, Oshawott. When around Buneary, I express my feelings to her from the heart, not even knowing what I'm saying half the time. It just comes naturally, I guess. I'm no expert on the subject, even when I first found out that I was in love with Buneary."

Oshawott's gaze turn to the ground. "Then, how did you ever tell her that you loved her if you didn't know how to express it?"

Pikachu crossed his arms and stared up at the trees. "The thing is, I didn't know I was in love with her. I had a small crush on her, sure, but I didn't understand my true feelings for her. It was just too much for me to take at the time and I couldn't figure it out on my own."

Oshawott instantly remembered something Piplup mentioned earlier. "Did you have any help from someone?"

Pikachu smiled softly. "Ryder, an old friend of mine back in Sinnoh. I met him there and haven't seen him since. He was unusual and always has some sort of trick up his sleeve, but he was a great friend nonetheless. He mentioned something about here in Unova, but it was so long that I can't remember what. Still, I'm hoping to see him here and help him with that something.

"Anyway, when I first met him, we got into this huge argument about who should be trusting who and ended up battling. But, I underestimated his skills and was completely overwhelmed. He creamed me with just a few bruises on him, and I now know that that wasn't even at his best. He could have beat me without any scratches. Things started to cool down and we talked. I learned that he was separated from his trainer and friends many years ago and has been living on his own.

"But, even so, he still knew how to keep going and never gave up, even if he got beaten to critical condition. After awhile, he talked about my feeling towards Buneary and picked them apart so accurately that he got my entire problem down by a mere look. After explaining everything, I soon realized where my feelings lied for Buneary. I realized that I was in love with her and it was all thanks to Ryder. I owed him for everything he did." He finished with a small sigh.

Oshawott was amazed by the story. "Wow…he sounds so…great."

"Buneary and I miss him, but he promised that we'll meet again." Pikachu stretched his arms out. "Anyway, the point is that I'm not the best choice to help you win over Snivy's affection…sorry, buddy."

"It's fine." Oshawott hugged himself and closed his eyes. "I just wish I could find some way to show Snivy how I feel about her."

"I said I didn't know, but that doesn't mean I don't know someone who does." Oshawott's eyes widened as he stared at the grin on Pikachu's face. "Buneary is a romantic at heart, she knows all about it. Plus, being friends with Snivy, she can probably tell if she has any special feelings for you. We can ask her to help us and you can get advice from her."

"Are your serious?" Oshawott asked with rising hope. Once Pikachu nodded, Oshawott couldn't help but jump up and squeeze him tightly in a hug. "Oh Pikachu, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!"

"…you're welcome…but you're…crushing my…spine…" He gasped for air.

Oshawott released the hug, allowing Pikachu to breathe. "Sorry." He then started to jump up and down like a child who just got a brand new toy with a large grin. "I'm going to finally tell Snivy my true feelings for her!"

Pikachu chuckled as he rubbed his sore back. "You might want to keep it down, unless you want her to hear you." Oshawott stopped his merriment and blushed sheepishly. "Anyway, let's head back to the picnic area and ask for Buneary's help."

"Right!" Oshawott agreed excitedly. He looked off to the side and flinched upon seeing the forest again. He looked away fearfully, something Pikachu caught.

"Something wrong, Oshawott?" He asked in concern.

He shook his head and smiled lightly. "Sorry, it's just that forest is giving me the creeps."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it just looks weird. I've never seen purple leaves before, especially ones that jagged. Plus, I saw this weird red glow and I suddenly started to get scared for some reason. It's just making me all jumpy looking at it. Not to mention, I saw some building on a cliff a far ways from here that was above the forest and it looked completely decimated." He shook his head. "Maybe I'm just imagining things."

Pikachu smiled lightly. "Don't let it get to you. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Come on, let's start heading back."

Oshawott nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Let's go!" He started to walk off. Pikachu stayed back for a moment to take a look at the forest himself.

He had to agree with one thing, it was certainly creepy. And…familiar. _Something about this feels awfully familiar. I know I've never been here before, that's for sure, but still. Hmm…I wonder…_

"Pikachu, you coming or what?!" He snapped out of it upon hearing Oshawott's shouts.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" Pikachu took one last glance at the forest, a look of suspicion and worry on his face, before shaking it off and running after his friend.


	3. Buneary the Matchmaker

Pikachu and Oshawott exited the woods and walked over to an awaiting Buneary. She was cuddling against her precious egg when she heard them come back. "Oh, you're back. How are you feeling, Oshawott?"

He smiled nervously. "A little better, thanks for asking."

"No problem!" She gave a sweet smile. She got up and stood in front of Pikachu, embracing him and rubbing her nose against his. "It was very nice of you to help him like that. Just one of the reasons I love you."

Pikachu gave a dreamy smile and return the affection. "I love you too." He then remembered something and pulled back a bit. "Actually, there's something I need to ask you. Well, more so Oshawott than me."

She released the embraced and looked at the timid Oshawott. "Is something wrong?"

Oshawott gulped and blushed. "Um, you see…I have a small problem and…I need your…advice."

Pikachu face-palmed. _Just a moment ago he was pumped, now he can barely speak._ He shook his head and looked at the confusion in Buneary's face. "The thing is, he got upset with Piplup and Pignite because they were teasing him about his past crushes. When I talked to him, I realized why he reacted so badly to it."

Buneary gave a concern look to the Sea Otter Pokémon. "Oh Oshawott, did they hurt your feelings?"

He swallowed as much embarrassment as he could and spoke, "Not exactly. They kept saying how I might have a crush on one of the girls, including you, which I don't anymore!" He quickly added. Buneary giggled a bit, remembering their interaction when they met. "Well, they weren't totally wrong." This immediately caught her attention, prompting her to lean in with a wide, toothy smile.

"You have a crush on someone? Come on, tell me, who is she?!" She asked excitedly.

Oshawott took a step back. _Sheesh, she is a romantic at heart. _He looked around to make sure no one else was around before having the guts to say it. "I have a…crush on…" He leaned forward for safety precaution in case anyone was eavesdropping and whispered, "Snivy."

Once he pulled back, both he and Pikachu saw the surprised look on her face, which soon turned to giddiness. "Oh my gosh, you have a crush on-"

Before she could blurt it out, Pikachu slapped his paw over her mouth. He looked around to make sure no one heard, and sighed with relief that no one did. He removed his paw and whispered, "He wants to keep it to himself. He's too embarrassed about it."

"Ooohhh…" Buneary's ears flopped down as she gave a sad look to Oshawott. "Sorry Oshawott, I didn't mean to do that."

He got over his shocked horror when she didn't accidentally yell out his feelings and smiled sympathetically at her. "Don't worry, you were just excited." This made her feel better.

She shuffled her feet around. "So…you have a crush on Snivy?" He nodded, making her tap her foot in excited impatience. "Alright, tell me everything, starting from the beginning!"

So, Oshawott retold his feelings towards the Grass Snake Pokémon, mentioning the Attract incident, his strange behavior towards her, then finally realizing that he was starting to develop feelings for her. He also mentions his past crushes and why he's been trying to get them to like him. When he was done, he let out an exhausted sigh. "And that's about it."

Buneary squealed and teetered back and forth on her heels joyfully. "That was so adorable, even romantic! It reminds me when I was trying to grab Pikachu's attention. And now, it is true!" Pikachu chuckled and blushed brightly. "Still," She formed a serious look, "I think that pushing your feelings away like that was not a bold choice. You said it yourself that you and her are close friends. So what gave you the idea that she was 'out of your league'?"

He scratched the back of his head while looking down sadly. "From…Emolga." He admitted shamefully. "I was getting her lunch one day and decided to ask her out on a date. Her reaction was to laugh at my face. She then starts saying how no girl would ever go out with me because of my 'wacky' personality and that I was way out of her league. It got me thinking that if she wasn't good enough for me, Snivy was definitely a no."

Pikachu pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I keep trying to tell you not to trust everything she says. Emolga just wanted to upset you to probably make you strive harder to impress her. Trust me, her cute act never really worked on me and it took a lot of convincing to keep her from using that Attract of hers on me."

"Pikachu's right, Oshawott." Buneary added. "Snivy is your best friend after all. Even if she doesn't like you the same way, at least you know that she'll still accept you as a friend. Doesn't that make you happy?"

He thought it over for a moment before smiling softly. "Yeah, a little." He then frowned. "Still…I really want her to be my girlfriend. What do you think I should do?" He asked the rabbit.

"That all depends, what have you tried so far?"

"Well, I did bring her a flower once…" This made her smile, "…that turned out to be poisonous when I grabbed it." She frowned in response. "Though, I did try to give her a box of chocolates…" She smiled again, "…but apparently they belong to a bunch of Pokémon that started to chase me." She frowned with narrowed eyes. "However, I once found a gift for her…" She just raised a brow, skeptic of the memory, "…though, when I brought it to the light, it was actually an old rag."

Buneary sighed and looked at her mate. "Please tell me he's joking."

Pikachu shook his head. "I wish I could."

Buneary tapped her chin in thought. "Well…I could always talk to Snivy and see how she feels about you. I know all the signs of a girl liking a guy!"

Pikachu chuckled a bit. "That may be difficult because Snivy isn't exactly known for showing off a lot of emotion. You may have a hard time deciphering her."

She waved him off. "Please, we tell each other lots of things. Trust me, I know what to do." She looked at Oshawott. "Don't worry Oshy, I'll make sure Snivy sees you the same way you do to her."

He smiled and hugged Buneary. "Thanks, that means a lot."

She returned the hug. "No problem." They separated from each other. Buneary gave Pikachu a quick kiss before walking over in Snivy's direction, with the egg as she picked it up. "See you two later!"

They waved at her. Pikachu turns to Oshawott. "Well, while we're waiting, maybe we can do some training. I've been meaning to try at some new techniques."

"Sure, let's do it!" They walked off towards a space where there wasn't that many Pokémon around. Oshawott quickly looked back at Buneary, worry in his eyes. "I just hope this doesn't end up like every other time." He whispered to himself.

* * *

Snivy watched from atop of a large rock at Scraggy and Axew as they were chasing each other playfully. She smiled lightly at the sight and sat back with her hands supporting her up. She closed her eyes for a moment as she let the beams of light from the sun hit her. She sighed peacefully, enjoying the sweet bliss.

Suddenly, she was greeted with a cheery voice. "Hey Snivy!" She opened her eyes and looked down to see Buneary with her egg. "Mind if I join?"

Feeling that a little company would be nice, she nodded. "Sure, come on up." Buneary jumped up next to her and sat down, placing the egg in her lap. Snivy looked at the egg. "You going to be excited when it finally hatches?"

The Rabbit Pokémon squealed delightfully. "You have no idea! Pikachu and I are both excited that we will become parents soon! I just wonder what it might be. A Buneary or a Pichu? A boy or a girl? Who knows, but I just want this egg to hatch soon!"

Snivy chuckled. "Well, I wish you the best of luck in the future."

"Thanks!" Buneary looked off to the side to see Oshawott and Pikachu were sparring with each other, instantly reminding her of why she was here in the first place. "So Snivy, how do you like traveling with everyone?"

"It's definitely a lot more exciting than the last trainer I was with. When I first met Ash and Pikachu, I didn't take so kindly to them. Even after I took on Pikachu, they just wouldn't give up."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Buneary laughed a bit. "Pikachu mentioned that you used Attract on him when you defeated him. He was worried that I might have gotten angry with him over it."

"Well, good thing that you weren't one of those crazy jealous girlfriends." Snivy joked, but was met with a serious look from Buneary.

"Actually, I am! You try that on my man again, you will be getting a Drain Punch that you'll never forget!" She threatened with a cold, piercing glare. Snivy nervously looked at her, feeling a tiny hint of fear. But, it went away when Buneary started to laugh hysterically. "I'm only joking, no need to get freaked out!"

Snivy sighed, but released a small laugh herself. "You _are_ one crazy Pokémon." They shared a laugh together. She calmed herself and continued with her thoughts. "Anyway, I soon started to see that Ash really cared for his Pokémon, willing to dive over to protect them. I know I made the right decision to travel with them."

Buneary beamed brightly. "That's great! Though, I am curious as to why you don't hang out with them so much?"

Snivy laid down on her back and looked up at the sky. "Don't get me wrong, I do like playing with them and having fun, but I'm the type of Pokémon who just likes to be by herself. Not that I don't enjoy your company." She quickly added.

Buneary laid down as well, hugging her egg close to her. "I like hanging out with my friends. Before I met everyone in Sinnoh, I was really shy. But, I was encouraged to spend so much time with them, especially _Pikachu._" She finished with a heavenly tone.

Snivy smiled at her friend. "Must be nice to have someone to love."

_There's my opening._ Buneary thought deviously. "Oh, it is. Say, is there anyone that you love by any chance?"

"No, not really." She replied casually, an answer that the rabbit was not hoping for.

Buneary quickly darted her eyes towards where the boys were. She didn't want to disappoint Oshawott, so she pushed on with the question. "Are you sure? There isn't anyone at all that you might have special feelings for? Someone that you feel shy around? Someone who you might be _best friends_ with?" She hinted heavily.

Snivy stared at her oddly. "Buneary, are you feeling alright? You're acting a little funny, more so than usual."

Buneary laughed nervously. "What, me? Oh no, I'm perfectly fine. Can't a gal just wonder if one of her dearest friends might have a crush on someone?" She gave a wide, almost creepy, nervous smile.

Snivy narrowed her eyes deeply and positioned herself up. "Uh huh. Listen, I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but let me make this clear. I. Don't. Love. Anyone. Okay?" Buneary nodded reluctantly. "Good." She resumed her previous position.

Buneary sighed. _Well, this isn't going well so far. What else can I do? I don't want to end up telling Oshawott that Snivy doesn't love, though I guess he'll also be relieved that she doesn't love anyone else._ She scratched her chin in thought, trying to figure out a solution to her problem. _Well, I can still ask how she feels about Oshawott and work from there._ She cleared her throat and said, "So, um, I was talking to Oshawott recently and he mentions how you two are best friends, right?"

Snivy smiled. "Yeah, the goofball is a lot of fun to be around. Never was a dull moment around him. Whether he is making a fool of himself, trying to be funny, or causing some sort of trouble that gets other Pokémon mad at him. Trust me when I say this, most of the time it's when his stomach starts telling him what to do."

Buneary chuckled. "I've seen moments when Pikachu would act the same way, minus the whole trouble part."

Snivy shared a laugh with her. "Yeah, Oshawott really is a great friend to have around. When he isn't trying to be funny, he's a kind-hearted Pokémon who is willing to help others out. He occasionally helps me watch over Scraggy and Axew when I'm tired and can't focus. We would talk about things, such as battles or pointless stuff. I enjoy his company the most out of everyone else's."

Buneary raised a brow. _Something about the way she said that. Maybe she does like him…no, she made it very clear that she didn't share any romantic feelings towards Oshawott. But, she does like spending time with him, that's something. Maybe I should keep questioning her._ "How come?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, there's just a certain…joy he brings whenever I see him. I just really like it when he's around me. I just can't explain why."

Buneary gasped quietly. _Maybe she does like Oshawott, but she doesn't know it herself._ "Well, do you have any special feelings for Oshawott?"

Snivy sighed. "Buneary, I already told you-"

"They don't have to be romantic feelings, just, you know, a connection with him."

Snivy tapped her chin in thought. "Well, in that case, I guess maybe I do have a sort of admiration for him. And, well, there are times when I can be protective of him."

"Protective?" Buneary asked.

"Yeah, Oshawott got into some trouble awhile back and I had to come and save him."

_FLASHBACK_

_Oshawott ran in fear of the pack of Galvantula. Apparently, he accidentally ate their supply of berries and they were beyond furious with him. "Get back here, you little squirt!" One of the Galvantula yelled._

_Oshawott, without looking back, yelled, "No thanks, not in the mood!" He turned a corner in the woods to try and lose them, but ended up tripping on a root and falling face first into the dirt. He tried to get up, but was stopped by a sharp pain shooting up his leg. He clenched it in agony. "Ow, I twisted my leg!"_

_As he rubbed it, he saw a shadow begin to loom over him. He looked up and saw the Galvantula that were chasing him. "Gotcha, you nuisance." The leader hissed sinisterly._

_Oshawott gulped and slowly started to crawl away, but it was useless. The Galvantula all lunged at him, causing him to cover his eyes in fear. Suddenly, something wrapped around his body and pulled him to the side. This caused the Galvantula to ram into a tree. Oshawott was momentarily confused before a voice came up._

"_You just love to cause trouble, don't you?" He turned and saw Snivy, who was retracting her Vine Whip. She eyed the gang of Dual-Type Pokémon starting to get up. She walked right in front of the injured Oshawott. "Stay behind me!" She commanded._

_Oshawott's eyes widened in fear. "Are you crazy?! They're like seven of them and you're just going to-" But he was stopped by her raising her hand in a 'stop talking' manner._

"_I don't care. You're my best friend and I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, no matter what." She turned around before she could see his facial expression. She got into a fighting stance as the Galvantula started rushing towards them. With a gleam in her eye, she released a powerful Leaf Storm at her attackers._

_FLASHBACK ENDS_

"Thankfully, I managed to beat them without much difficulty. Ever since that day, I've been keeping a close eye on Oshawott. I always made sure that he was within my sight if he were to scamper off. I can't even imagine how I would feel if something bad were to happen to him." She frowned sadly, possibly thinking about life without Oshawott.

Buneary showed a look of sympathy. "I know how you feel. If I were to ever lose Pikachu…I don't know how devastated I would be."

Snivy sighed and looked to the side. "Truth is, I never had any friends before I met you guys. My old trainer was always pushing me to my limit, not giving any consideration to my own feelings. The other Pokémon weren't exactly kind-hearted themselves. I just decided to smash my Pokeball one night and run away. When I became part of the team, Oshawott was the first to really greet me. We got along so well that…well, I just know I made the right decision running away."

Buneary smiled lightly and rubbed the top of her egg. "You know what I think?" Snivy moved her head a bit so she can see her. "I think someone like you didn't deserve that harsh treatment. Meeting Oshawott and the others was definitely the best thing that could've happened to you."

Snivy smiled at her friend. "Thanks." She looked off to the side and saw Axew got his foot stuck in some vines with Scraggy trying to pull him out. She shook her head. "Oh boy. Sorry Buneary, but I need to take care of this. It was nice talking to you, though. Later!" She jumped off the rock and headed over towards the two kids.

Buneary waved at her. "See ya!" When she was certain Snivy was out of earshot, she sighed. "Well, not the answers I was hoping for, but it's all I got."

* * *

"And, that's basically all I got." Oshawott sighed and fell on his back. Buneary looked at him with sympathy. "Sorry Oshawott, but Snivy made it very clear that she doesn't have any romantic feelings for you."

He shrugged. "It's fine, you tried your best and that's all that matters." He may have sounded cool about it, but the tears threatening to leave his eyes were against him.

Pikachu rubbed his back soothingly. "It's alright, buddy. It's fine."

Buneary brought something else up. "Though, in my opinion, she might have a crush on you."

Oshawott immediately brought his head up, knocking down Pikachu. "Really?!"

Buneary, after getting over her surprise by his sudden change in mood, said, "Well, yeah. While she didn't say that she had feelings for you, she did keep saying that she admires you and would do anything to keep you safe. She said how you were her best friend. I think she does like you, but hasn't realized it herself."

Pikachu got up and rubbed his sore head. "So basically, Snivy just hasn't realized her feelings towards him and just assumes them as her strong bond with Oshawott?"

"That's what I think, at least." Buneary replied honestly.

Oshawott leaned back, supporting himself on his paws. "So, how do we get her to like me? I can't just walk up to her and say 'Oh Snivy, I'm in love with you. Please go out on a date with me.' That would just sound awkward."

Pikachu scratched his chin. "If you two were left alone for a bit…" He started off.

"Oh no!" Oshawott immediately started to refuse. "The last time we were alone, I could barely speak to her. In fact, when we're alone is when I try to ask her out, but I just can't say it without sounding like an idiot!" He fell onto his back. "This is hopeless."

Buneary smiled. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." Oshawott looked up at her. "Maybe we can help you."

Oshawott gave a skeptical look. "How?"

"Pikachu, Oshawott, huddle up!" They huddled up together and Buneary started to explain her plan with inaudible chatter. Once she was done, she said, "Okay, got it?"

"You sure this will work?" Oshawott asked worriedly.

"I promise you, Snivy will be your girlfriend before you know it!" Buneary exclaimed proudly, but made sure to keep her voice within range of them. Oshawott sighed deeply. This was going to be one interesting afternoon.


End file.
